May 21, 2021

Honey-Do List

5/21-5/27            Schedule Retention Meeting if Needed

5/28                    Complete Survey related to items in this Hive

5/28                   Complete booking appointments for retention meetings

6/1-6/18             Schedule Evaluation Meeting

Save The Date:

LAPS Summer Meetings 9/1 & 9/2

New Survey with Each BUZZ Edition

• Moving forward each edition of the Buzz will have a survey linked to it.
• The survey will be open to the Thursday before the next edition of the Buzz (5/27)
• This is a way to increase two-way communication by having a means for you to provide thoughts and opinions. 
• It will also help to insure that everyone is accessing all of the information here. 
• This is a way to save us having to have too many meetings
• It is required that  EVERYONE complete the survey
• This week's survey can be found here

Buzz in My Brain

Appreciation:

The ENTIRE K0/K1 team for pulling together and being a team. It has been a week where life has intruded on your team and you all pulled together to keep kids happy and learning while supporting each other. (Even with broken bathrooms) Thank you!

Taydavia for having the courage to do what was right for students' social-emotional well-being even if the meltdown occured with the principal in the room. It was a masterful move. 

Retention

• Please schedule appointments to discuss any students you would like to have considered for retention. 
• This meeting should take a team approach if you can manage to sync schedules
• To this meeting please bring:
• The mastery task that you gave the student that shows his/her level of mastery of grade-level standards. This must be a grade-level task.
• The interventions that have been tried with the student and progress monitoring of their efficacy
• Evidence of frequent communication to the family
• Recommendation for summer programming
• Please review the district guidance below:

The district is taking a more nuanced approach to making retention decisions this year. I know this is something that many of you were concerned about. 

As we make decisions about Promotion and Retention, we will adhere to the following guidance:

• There shall be no retention of any student in Kindergarten
• Teachers should offer mastery tasks to students who are on the verge of being retained; if a student can demonstrate mastery, s/he should not be retained
• Teachers should continue to have pass/fail decision-making and partner with the student’s family

To consider retention if such discussion is warranted:

• Retention should be based on a lack of evidence of “meeting or exceeding the essential
• standards;” decisions must be grounded in evidence
• To be considered for retention, there must be evidence of other interventions:
• the student must be reviewed by the school-based Student Success Team using benchmark requirements and the student’s current academic performance
• evidence of a clear, teacher-developed intervention plan to include checkpoints with family to ensure timely and consistent communication
• small group instruction and intervention based on the student’s instructional needs with progress monitoring 
• Evidence of frequent communication with the student’s family
• Promotion can be contingent upon successful participation and completion of summer programming
• The School Leader will have final sign-off (after conversations with all stakeholders)

The National Association of School Psychologists says that holding a child back is “unlikely to
address the problems a child is facing” and promoting a student “without additional support is not
likely to be an effective solution either.” On the whole, studies have shown that children who are
retained do not do better over time. If the decision is made to retain a student, it is critical that we establish what will be done differently during the grade that is repeated.

SIMPLIFYING LANGAUGE

• One of my pandemic lessons has been to keep it simple. 
• I have been really trying to be more precise about the language I use so that it is clear and understood by all.
• Another pandemic lesson is that we need to increase the amount of parent voice that we have in our community.
• We have 5 families that are doing all of the heavy lifting for parent involvement and requests.
• I am unsure of what our full community needs because voice is so limited. 
• I am hoping that by re-writing some key documents and being sure to have them translated who we are will be clearer to families. 
• I am also hoping that the precision of language will help as we write our school plan and gain the ESSER funds we need
• Below I am sharing the District Mission and Vision as well as a draft School Mission and Vision
• I am also sharing a series of commitments that we make to each other and our LAPS community. My proposal is that this replaces the older covenant document and that we co-develop a set of norms that we will use in meetings. 
• On this week's survey please indicate how you feel about the draft mission, vision, and agreements

Vision and Mission

District Mission: 

Every child, in every classroom, in every school gets what they need

District Vision:

A nation-leading, student-centered public school district providing equitable, and excellent,  well-rounded education that prepares every student for success in college, career, and life.

School Mission (draft): 

Our LAPS Community will empower students to be actively engaged in the learning process - taking action, problem-solving, making decisions, asking questions, sharing their knowledge with others within and outside the classroom. 

School Vision (draft):

Students will find joy and purpose in their identity as a learner, member of a larger community, and changemaker in school and beyond.

Covenant: 

LAPS Current Covenant

Proposed Draft Agreements- Adapted From RBT

We are a Learning Organization

• We are learners. We deliberately continue to learn about improving our craft.
• We are reflective and inquire into our own practice
• We take risks knowing it is safe to be vulnerable in front of colleagues
• We invite others into our teaching space to see our practice and provide us with honest, constructive feedback so that we can grow

We Lean into Teams and Data

• We are interdependent with our colleagues. We all share the work as well as the student learning results
• We are non-defensive when we examine our teaching as it is related to student results
• We constantly use data, including student work, to re-focus our instruction

We Exhibit Passion and Push

• We have urgency and push ourselves to do better for our marginalized students
• We are committed to infusing "Smart is something you can get" in classroom practices, classroom structure, school policies and school procedures

We Create a Caring and Inclusive Environment

• We care, appreciate, recognize, build relationships,  learn the individual stories of the people in our community and create traditions that the community looks forward to. 

We Hold and Demand High Expectations of Ourselves and Each Other

• We have high expectations for the development  and growth of teaching practoce that results in outstanding student learning outcomes 
• We communicate honestly and openly and are willing to have messy and difficult conversations with each other. 
• We have a culture of respect and collaboration

Masks Outside

• We have had family requests to follow DESE public health guidance and to allow children to remove their masks at recess.
• As of right now, the district has not updated the policy that students must be masked at all times
• I would like to get the temperature of our team regarding students wearing masks outside at recess to inform our actions moving forward.
• There is a question on the survey regarding your thoughts. 

Coming Up

• Scheduling appoints for Evaluation review
• End of the Year Celebrations
• ESSER Equity Roundtable
• Professional Development Calendar

ESSA Jamboard

• As you may have heard the District will be receiving a significant influx of money from ESSA over the next three years
• The superintendent has said that at least 50% of the funding will be allocated to schools based on: the school improvement plan and other data sources
• We are in the very preliminary stages of gathering ideas through brainstorming about what this could look like at Lee Academy
• I would love to hear what your thoughts are about possible avenues worth pursuing
• Here are some guardrails to help guide your thinking:
•  Ideas should be about improving outcomes for students. Think of ways that we could measure success
• Think about investments in professional learning and growth, non-consumable materials etc.
• Ideas cannot be about adding new staff members as the funds are finite.

• Put your ideas on this Jamboard (You must be signed in with your BPS address to access. 
• Please add your thoughts by 5/21

MCAS

Opting Out

• MA law does not contain an opt-out form or opt-out provision for MCAS. If parents decline to participate, parents should place their request in writing and understand that these data points will not be available. 

MCAS Grades 3-8 

• All students in Grades 3-8 are expected to participate in-person or remote. 
• Students who are not taking the test will be marked absent in Pearson. 
• In-person testing through TestNav App (district-owned computers only).
• Remote testing through the browser-based version of TestNav (personal devices are ok).
• “Remote MCAS” icon has been added to Clever for remote students 
• Schools can test simultaneously groups from the same class - separate sessions in Pearson for each (could be challenging to manage with one proctor).
• Student Test Login: (1) usernames are student-specific (2) passwords are PAN session-specific
• All students will test one session/per subject.
• CBT test session assigned (randomly) by Pearson to each student 
• PBT test session assigned by the Testing Coordinator: aim for 50/50 split
• paper-clip the Session 1 pages together (leaving Session 2 available to be taken) 
• paper-clip the Session 2 pages together (leaving Session 1 available to be taken).
• Schools may offer in-person testing for remote students if they can manage additional students on site.  

Support and Resources

The MCAS 2021 training module and other linked resources for schools’ training can be found here.

MCAS District Office Hours daily from 05/04-05/22: Morning (7:00-7:45 AM) and Afternoon (12:30-1:15 PM)

May 14, 2021

Honey-Do List

5/15    Artifact Reflections due

5/21     Last day for adding ideas to the ESSA Jamboard

Buzz in My Brain

Appreciation:

• Thank you, Amelia, Chris, Sam, and Jen for wrapping your metaphorical arms around a mother and her children to be sure that mom's voice is heard and the family gets what they need.
• Thank you David for the amazing way you interact with students and meet their emotional as well as academic needs. It was great to watch you in action!

Retention

The district is taking a more nuanced approach to making retention decisions this year. I know this is something that many of you were concerned about. 

As we make decisions about Promotion and Retention, we will adhere to the following guidance:

• There shall be no retention of any student in Kindergarten
• Teachers should offer mastery tasks to students who are on the verge of being retained; if a student can demonstrate mastery, s/he should not be retained
• Teachers should continue to have pass/fail decision-making and partner with the student’s family

To consider retention if such discussion is warranted:

• Retention should be based on a lack of evidence of “meeting or exceeding the essential
• standards;” decisions must be grounded in evidence
• To be considered for retention, there must be evidence of other interventions:
• the student must be reviewed by the school-based Student Success Team using benchmark requirements and the student’s current academic performance
• evidence of a clear, teacher-developed intervention plan to include checkpoints with family to ensure timely and consistent communication
• small group instruction and intervention based on the student’s instructional needs with progress monitoring 
• Evidence of frequent communication with the student’s family
• Promotion can be contingent upon successful participation and completion of summer programming
• The School Leader will have final sign-off (after conversations with all stakeholders)

The National Association of School Psychologists says that holding a child back is “unlikely to
address the problems a child is facing” and promoting a student “without additional support is not
likely to be an effective solution either.” On the whole, studies have shown that children who are
retained do not do better over time. If the decision is made to retain a student, it is critical that we establish what will be done differently during the grade that is repeated.

Pre-K Phonological Awareness Program

• The BPS Department of Early Childhood will be adopting The Heggerty Pre-kindergarten Phonemic Awareness Curriculum in all Pre-K classrooms this upcoming school year, SY21-22.  
• Heggerty is a phonological awareness curriculum that provides students with opportunities to listen to and play with sounds in words. The goal is to build our youngest students’ capacity to hear and manipulate sounds in words to set them up for reading success in the upcoming grades. 
• Research shows that having strong phonological skills and letter-sound correspondence leads to better literacy outcomes in the future. 
• The District is creating a support structure for both educators and school leaders, providing resources for smooth implementation, and working with Heggerty staff developers to provide meaningful professional development opportunities that will build the capacity of all stakeholders.  
• The district has also begun working with Heggerty to ensure that professional development opportunities meet our needs in BPS. 
• Please be on the lookout for professional development dates that will be scheduled in August and September. You can also feel free to connect with Dwayne Nunez (dnunez@bostonpublicschools.org) if you have any questions about this transition or would like to know more about the curriculum. 

ESSA Jamboard

• As you may have heard the District will be receiving a significant influx of money from ESSA over the next three years
• The superintendent has said that at least 50% of the funding will be allocated to schools based on: the school improvement plan and other data sources
• We are in the very preliminary stages of gathering ideas through brainstorming about what this could look like at Lee Academy
• I would love to hear what your thoughts are about possible avenues worth pursuing
• Here are some guardrails to help guide your thinking:
•  Ideas should be about improving outcomes for students. Think of ways that we could measure success
• Think about investments in professional learning and growth, non-consumable materials etc.
• Ideas cannot be about adding new staff members as the funds are finite.

• Put your ideas on this Jamboard (You must be signed in with your BPS address to access. 
• Please add your thoughts by 5/21

MCAS

Opting Out

• MA law does not contain an opt-out form or opt-out provision for MCAS. If parents decline to participate, parents should place their request in writing and understand that these data points will not be available. 

MCAS Grades 3-8 

• All students in Grades 3-8 are expected to participate in-person or remote. 
• Students who are not taking the test will be marked absent in Pearson. 
• In-person testing through TestNav App (district-owned computers only).
• Remote testing through the browser-based version of TestNav (personal devices are ok).
• “Remote MCAS” icon has been added to Clever for remote students 
• Schools can test simultaneously groups from the same class - separate sessions in Pearson for each (could be challenging to manage with one proctor).
• Student Test Login: (1) usernames are student-specific (2) passwords are PAN session-specific
• All students will test one session/per subject.
• CBT test session assigned (randomly) by Pearson to each student 
• PBT test session assigned by the Testing Coordinator: aim for 50/50 split
• paper-clip the Session 1 pages together (leaving Session 2 available to be taken) 
• paper-clip the Session 2 pages together (leaving Session 1 available to be taken).
• Schools may offer in-person testing for remote students if they can manage additional students on site.  

Support and Resources

The MCAS 2021 training module and other linked resources for schools’ training can be found here.

MCAS District Office Hours daily from 05/04-05/22: Morning (7:00-7:45 AM) and Afternoon (12:30-1:15 PM)

May 7, 2021

Honey-Do List

5/14    Schedule extra recess or choice time

5/15    Artifact Reflections due

5/21     Last day for adding ideas to the ESSA Jamboard

Buzz in My Brain

Appreciation:

• I am feeling guilty that the token gifts that I bought for teacher appreciation day have not come in yet. I am always late!
• I hope that the tokens will be welcome but not as meaningful as the appreciation that I try to show each of you as individuals and as the Lee Academy Family. 
• It is important that each of you knows how much I value your contributions to our community and your talents with teaching and caring for our students. 
• You make this job a pleasure. I look forward to coming to work each day and seeing what wonderful things are going to happen.  

New Principal

• Next Friday (5/14) we will have a new principal for the day!
• First grade was working on persuasive writing and a friend chose me as his audience and his purpose was to persuade me to let him be principal. 
• It was an authentic piece of writing and presented with pride and confidence
• Mr. Elliott Parker will be principal for one day on May 14th. 
• He is a fierce negotiator and wanted to cancel school for the day.  
• After tense negotiations, we agreed that as principal he can mandate extra recess or choice time. (Hopefully, it will not rain)
• Please plan on scheduling an extra recess or choice time for your students on 5/14. 

ESSA Jamboard

• As you may have heard the District will be receiving a significant influx of money from ESSA over the next three years
• The superintendent has said that at least 50% of the funding will be allocated to schools based on: the school improvement plan and other data sources
• We are in the very preliminary stages of gathering ideas through brainstorming about what this could look like at Lee Academy
• I would love to hear what your thoughts are about possible avenues worth pursuing
• Here are some guardrails to help guide your thinking:
•  Ideas should be about improving outcomes for students. Think of ways that we could measure success
• Think about investments in professional learning and growth, non-consumable materials etc.
• Ideas cannot be about adding new staff members as the funds are finite.

• Put your ideas on this Jamboard (You must be signed in with your BPS address to access. 
• Please add your thoughts by 5/21

Hiring and a Proposition

• I am excited to announce that a member of our Lee Academy Family will step into the science specialist role this fall. 
• Please join me in congratulating Marc as he starts the next chapter of his journey with us
• This leaves us with some unique opportunities that I would like you to seriously consider.
• Is there anyone interested in teaching third grade? 
• Is anyone interested in creating a looping strand?
• We could create a K2-1 loop and a 2-3 loop
• Change is a good thing and after this year I think we could all use an opportunity to mix things up.
• If you are interested please let me know ASAP

Student Desk

• Is anyone in a position where they can switch a desk for a table?
• Amelia is getting another in-person learner and we could really use a desk for that student. 

MCAS

Opting Out

• MA law does not contain an opt-out form or opt-out provision for MCAS. If parents decline to participate, parents should place their request in writing and understand that these data points will not be available. 

MCAS Grades 3-8 

• All students in Grades 3-8 are expected to participate in-person or remote. 
• Students who are not taking the test will be marked absent in Pearson. 
• In-person testing through TestNav App (district-owned computers only).
• Remote testing through the browser-based version of TestNav (personal devices are ok).
• “Remote MCAS” icon has been added to Clever for remote students 
• Schools can test simultaneously groups from the same class - separate sessions in Pearson for each (could be challenging to manage with one proctor).
• Student Test Login: (1) usernames are student-specific (2) passwords are PAN session-specific
• All students will test one session/per subject.
• CBT test session assigned (randomly) by Pearson to each student 
• PBT test session assigned by the Testing Coordinator: aim for 50/50 split
• paper-clip the Session 1 pages together (leaving Session 2 available to be taken) 
• paper-clip the Session 2 pages together (leaving Session 1 available to be taken).
• Schools may offer in-person testing for remote students if they can manage additional students on site.  

Support and Resources

The MCAS 2021 training module and other linked resources for schools’ training can be found here.

MCAS District Office Hours daily from 05/04-05/22: Morning (7:00-7:45 AM) and Afternoon (12:30-1:15 PM)

Artifacts

• For your formative/summative artifacts I am looking for a brief self-reflection (no more than 2 pages)
• Please include things you tried this year that worked/did not work and lessons learned as you grew in your professional practice. You can use these questions to guide your thinking: (If you read the Buzz in my brain these questions will not surprise you!):
• What are you currently learning about professionally? 
• What problem are you wrestling with within your practice? 
• Which skills are you trying to master?
• How is that learning going? How do you know?
• What do you think are your next steps of professional growth?
• I am looking for this reflection to be in the following three areas:
• Curriculum design
• Instruction/Student learning 
• Parent & Family Engagement

• This is all I need for artifacts. I am really looking forward to reading your reflections and having some rich professional conversations! 

April 30, 2021

Honey-Do List

5/3     Prioritize Students for Summer Learning and choose the appropriate program for them

5/15   Artifact Reflections due

Buzz in My Brain

I have always been a huge believer in the power in the power of self-reflection as a lever for change and growth. For years, in various roles, the use of self-reflection as a tool for evaluation both personally and for others has been powerful. I find that it helps us to realize our own journey of growth and self-development and set goals for where we want to go next. It has been a way to personalize and differentiate the professional learning journey. I hope that this year you will find it an equally powerful and helpful practice. 

If you want, take a minute to read this blog by Tim Cavey that nicely summarizes the power of this approach to professional learning and growth.

Employment Opportunities

Summer and Before and After School

• Our new before and afterschool partner, Boston's Bridge to Excellence, is looking to hire program staff for our fall programming as well as their summer programming held at several schools in the city and the programs we will have in our school starting in the fall.
• They asked me to please send out these links to school staff who may be interested in working in the Summer program or before and after school programs in your schools with Boston's Bridge To Excellence. 
• Please see the links below:

https://www.ziprecruiter.com/job/2bc6e7dc

https://www.ziprecruiter.com/job/5a26221b

https://www.ziprecruiter.com/job/c956089a

https://www.ziprecruiter.com/job/7fa92358

Summer-BPS

• The OSE  (Office of Special Education) is actively recruiting for ESY.  
• Unfortunately, this year they've seen a significant decrease in the number of applicants.  
• While they are seeking teachers possessing a special education license, general education teachers are also encouraged to apply.  
• It's OSE's understanding DESE is expediting licensure and waivers as most school districts are experiencing this issue.  
• The OSE is kindly asking school leaders to encourage teachers and paraprofessionals to apply on TalentEd.  

Family Liasion

• We have an open family liaison position here at Lee Academy.
• This is a BTU position and I know we have paras that are very qualified for this position both in  professional experience and their own experiences navigating BPS and the city of Boston as a parent
• I encourage anyone that is interested to apply. 
• In full transparency, this is a 223 day work year with some flexibility needed to work outside of the "traditional" school day. 
• Candidates will be pre-screened by the central office 
• Please let me know if you are interested

Professional Development-Wednesday

• Wednesday, May 5th will be our final Professional Learning session for this year.  We will use the time to wrap our work for the year around Cultivating Genius.  We will meet from 4pm - 6pm on Zoom (link below).
  
  Here's what's going on: 
  • The first 40 minutes will be grade-level time to review the work you've done together and plan for what you want to share with the whole group. Think about:
    
  • Sharing a brief description of the work you have done and why you chose it for your grade level
    
  • Explaining how it cultivates identity, skills, intellectualism, and/or criticality
  • Sharing any next steps you are going to take
    
  • The next 30 minutes will be grade-level group presentations with time for questions and reactions
  • The last part of the session will be looking back and looking forward.  We will look back through the book (so make sure you have your book with you!) and reflect on our learning and we will look forward to set goals for ourselves for next year. 
    
  • You will need: your Cultivating Genius book; something to write with/on
  • Zoom link: https://k12-bostonpublicschools.zoom.us/j/85810624230

Sharing Pictures with Families

• Thank you to those of you that have been sharing, with families, pictures of their children engaged in social and learning activities. 
• This sharing is important as families have expressed regret at losing the window into their child's school day with the return to in person learning
• Many of our families have never been inside the school and I am unsure at what point they will be able to return. 
• This is also a nice way to continually communicate and create connections with familes

 Attendance Information

• We need to post attendance every day by 10:05 for our in-person classes so that we can provide Martisse with an accurate lunch count. 
• For in-person learners please use the IP-P code and the IP-A codes for attendance. This is NOT the default code. 
• For remote learners please use the P and A codes. P is the default. 
• Students are not allowed to change from in-person to remote for reasons that are not COVID-related. 

Summer Programming

• It is time to plan for summer learning opportunities and I need your help to prioritize students who are in need of intensive support in ELA, Math, or Science AND who would benefit from additional social-emotional supports. 
• This year schools have the flexibility to prioritize as many as 30% of their student body. 
• Please let me know by 5/1 if you prioritize the student for summer learning and what program you recommend the student for by using this spreadsheet. 

The following are the summer learning opportunities that our students are eligible to participate in above and beyond ESY and ELD Programs. 

STEAM Academy for Change

The STEAM Academy for Change (STAC) is for students interested in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, & Mathematics). The BPS STEM department is looking to develop young scholars who are innovators, inventors, and scientists who want to help create change within their communities and society using STEAM. These young scholars will work with their peers on developing a project that can support their community through STEAM. STAC's focus is to introduce students to STEAM professions where African Americans & Latinos are most underrepresented: Web Development, Robotics, Biological Scientists, Environmental Scientists, Mathematics, & Engineering. The program will wrap up with a workplace learning field trip, solutions pitch to professionals, and a portfolio presentation to their teachers and families.

• For:  Grades 3-6
• Schools Served: All Boston Public Schools with students in grades 3-6
• Proposed Site:  Perkins, Dorchester
• Dates:  7/6 - 8/6
• Days/Hours:  Monday - Thursday, 8:30 am-3 pm

Summer Early Focus

The Summer Early Focus program builds on children’s learning during the school year. It is highly engaging and child-driven. Two BPS teachers support up to 20 students in each classroom with our Summer Early Focus curriculum. Students will continue to engage in high-quality instructional practices, take field trips,  and have structured and unstructured play opportunities.

• For:  Grades K1-2
• Proposed Site:  Orchard Garden, East Boston EEC, Ellison Parks, West Zone ELC
• Dates:  7/6 - 8/6
• Days/Hours:  Monday-Friday, 8:30am-2:30pm

Artifacts

• For your formative/summative artifacts I am looking for a brief self-reflection (no more than 2 pages)
• Please include things you tried this year that worked/did not work and lessons learned as you grew in your professional practice. You can use these questions to guide your thinking: (If you read the Buzz in my brain these questions will not surprise you!):
• What are you currently learning about professionally? 
• What problem are you wrestling with within your practice? 
• Which skills are you trying to master?
• How is that learning going? How do you know?
• What do you think are your next steps of professional growth?
• I am looking for this reflection to be in the following three areas:
• Curriculum design
• Instruction/Student learning 
• Parent & Family Engagement

• This is all I need for artifacts. I am really looking forward to reading your reflections and having some rich professional conversations! 

Something Fun

The Bowery, Lucy’s, and Cityside Tavern are offering up some teacher appreciation next week!

From May 3-7th, they are offering all teachers the following:

• 50% off 1 food item (some exclusions apply)
• Dine-in Only (not valid for takeout)
• Teacher ID or Pay Stub required

April 15, 2021

Honey-Do List

April 15 and 16: Remote Schedules complete and communicated to families staying remote

April 26: Return to in-person learning

April 26-30: Reach out to families that are new to you as if it were the beginning of the school year

Buzz in My Brain

We've Got This! April 26th will be joyful and wonderful. We are an amazing team that can handle any bump in the road!

Transportation Information

• We will not have students' updated transportation information until 4/21
• Parents will receive an email with their child's updated info
• Many stops will remain the same BUT most bus numbers will change

Welcoming Students and Families Back

• Parents of our students, especially our younger students, are curious about what our school and classrooms look like on the inside since they are not allowed in. 
• Other parents have acknowledged that a loss they feel about returning 5 days in person is the window that they currently have into their child's classroom. 
• When our students are back in school on 4/26 could you snap a few pictures of students engaged in learning and text or upload them to SeeSaw so that parents feel reassured that their children are safe, happy, and well cared for?

Changes to Pooled Testing

• In preparation for welcoming students back full time on 4/26, we are planning to make some changes to our pooled testing routine. 
• The centralized testing station during lunchtime for K0-1 has proved to be less than ideal.  
• Sam also wants to minimize disruption to instructional time for 2nd & 3rd grade. 
• We are hoping this will create a smoother process.  
• We are not sure if our outside testing team will be able to make this adjustment, but Sam is prepared to absorb this task in the event that they cannot accommodate our scheduling needs for K0-1.  
• When we return after the break, we will switch to a mobile "cart" testing routine. Swabbing will take place just outside the classroom door. 
• Sam has developed a proposed schedule. 
• Please take a look and let her know if you want to make any changes to your assigned time. 
• We can also make any necessary adjustments once we get going and Sam gets a sense for how long it takes in each classroom. 

More Detailed Attendance Information

In all reopening scenarios, teachers will take student attendance in Aspen on a daily and/or class basis. 

•  Per DESE guidelines, families must select 5-day in-person or remote learning and the hybrid model will no longer be available for grades K-8 after April 26th. However, we recognize that certain situations, such as sickness or other COVID-related reasons, may require some students to switch to remote attendance for the day. In the event that your child can not attend in person, we ask that you communicate with your child’s school as early as possible with the reason and timeframe for switching to remote learning. Students will still be marked present as long as they meet the attendance requirements for the day, although schools cannot guarantee that your child will be with the same class for remote lessons.
• The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has released further clarification on the protocols for taking attendance during remote learning periods. To accommodate the differences in modality (remote & in-person) the following modifications should be considered:
• Consistent with DESE attendance guidelines as well as updated guidance released in August, an absence is considered any day where a student misses more than half of the day’s planned instruction. If a student begins instruction remotely but does not attend at least half of their daily schedule (including asynchronous activities), the attendance should be reverted to an absence.
• Constructively present was previously used in circumstances where a student was attending school instruction outside of the building. Moving forward, the constructively present code should not be used and remote instruction should be indicated with the remote-present code. Please note that instruction must be delivered/provided by BPS (either synchronous or asynchronous) in order for the student to be counted as present.
• Aspen will be configured to accommodate the new DESE guidelines for attendance-taking with the following codes:
• P - Present (default):  Indicates that a student attended 50% or more of the assigned remote instruction.
• A - Absent: Indicates that a student attended less-than 50% of their scheduled virtual/remote instruction. 
• IP-P - In-Person Present: Student is present for 50% or more of their scheduled in-person instructional activities, as assigned by the classroom teacher. 
• If a student is scheduled to attend school in-person but logs in remotely instead, the P code should be used instead.
• IP-A - In-Person Absent: Student is absent from 50% or more of their scheduled in-person instructional activities, as assigned by the classroom teacher.
• Excused Absences: Certain absences may be excused, meaning they will not be considered as it relates to a referral to the Suffolk County Juvenile Court (truancy court) by a Supervisor of Attendance under M.G.L. c.119. 
• However, it is important to understand that all missed instructional time has the potential to negatively impact student outcomes. 
• In addition, all absences are included as it relates to chronic absenteeism, as calculated by DESE, regardless of whether the absence is excused or unexcused. 
• For an absence to be excused, parents must contact the school after each day they are absent. 
• Remote Learning Protocol: To mark an absence as excused due to a student being unable to access the daily BPS instruction, school leaders should verify that the student truly had no access to daily BPS instruction, including both synchronous and asynchronous content.
• See Excused Absence Protocol for additional details.

Behind the Scenes Happenings Next Week

• Keri will be changing students' scheduling and teacher assignments in SIS
• It does not have to happen next week but please reach out to any students that are new to you as if it were the beginning of the school year

Summer Programming

• It is time to plan for summer learning opportunities and I need your help to prioritize students who are in need of intensive support in ELA, Math, or Science AND who would benefit from additional social-emotional supports. 
• This year schools have the flexibility to prioritize as many as 30% of their student body. 
• Please let me know by 5/1 if you prioritize the student for summer learning and what program you recommend the student for by using this spreadsheet. 

The following are the summer learning opportunities that our students are eligible to participate in above and beyond ESY and ELD Programs. 

STEAM Academy for Change

The STEAM Academy for Change (STAC) is for students interested in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, & Mathematics). The BPS STEM department is looking to develop young scholars who are innovators, inventors, and scientists who want to help create change within their communities and society using STEAM. These young scholars will work with their peers on developing a project that can support their community through STEAM. STAC's focus is to introduce students to STEAM professions where African Americans & Latinos are most underrepresented: Web Development, Robotics, Biological Scientists, Environmental Scientists, Mathematics, & Engineering. The program will wrap up with a workplace learning field trip, solutions pitch to professionals, and a portfolio presentation to their teachers and families.

• For:  Grades 3-6
• Schools Served: All Boston Public Schools with students in grades 3-6
• Proposed Site:  Perkins, Dorchester
• Dates:  7/6 - 8/6
• Days/Hours:  Monday - Thursday, 8:30 am-3 pm

Summer Early Focus

The Summer Early Focus program builds on children’s learning during the school year. It is highly engaging and child-driven. Two BPS teachers support up to 20 students in each classroom with our Summer Early Focus curriculum. Students will continue to engage in high-quality instructional practices, take field trips,  and have structured and unstructured play opportunities.

• For:  Grades K1-2
• Proposed Site:  Orchard Garden, East Boston EEC, Ellison Parks, West Zone ELC
• Dates:  7/6 - 8/6
• Days/Hours:  Monday-Friday, 8:30am-2:30pm

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Summer Teaching Opportunities

• The OSE  Office of Special Education) is actively recruiting for ESY.  
• Unfortunately, this year they've seen a significant decrease in the number of applicants.  
• While they are seeking teachers possessing a special education license, general education teachers are also encouraged to apply.  
• It's OSE's understanding DESE is expediting licensure and waivers as most school districts are experiencing this issue.  
• The OSE is kindly asking school leaders to encourage teachers and paraprofessionals to apply on TalentEd.  

Ready4K

• We qualified for an equity grant to implement the Ready 4K family support program. 
• This is a program that the family council has been discussing for the past two years
• We get the program and family workshops free for 2 years. 
• Developed by educational researchers, Ready4K is an evidence-based family engagement curriculum delivered via text messages.
• Each week, parents and caregivers receive fun facts and easy tips on how to promote their children’s development by building on existing family routines – like pointing out letters on the cereal box at breakfast, counting the number of steps as you walk to the car or bus, or making feeling faces in the mirror after you brush your teeth. 
• In a series of randomized controlled trials, this approach has been shown to increase child development by 2 to 3 months over the course of a school year.
• The Ready4K dashboard, teacher newsletters, family engagement surveys, and end-of-year impact reports complement the core Ready4K curriculum, enabling organizations to connect the home to school, link families to vital resources in the community, and measure their impact.
• We will be implementing the Ready4K Trauma-Informed curriculum designed to strengthen the 5 protective factors. Here is some more info about it: 
• The program will be delivered to families in English and Spanish 
• A single community support stream for linking families to local resources
• Implementation support includes Community Asset Mapping process and enrollment materials including marketing flyers and bulk file upload of parent data
• Quarterly Family Engagement Surveys focused on the protective factors and end-of-year Impact Report
• Ready4K Virtual Family Workshops for families and post-workshop recording and family engagement data each month

April 9, 2021

Honey-Do List

April 6: Bulletin Board Pictures due to Jodi 

April 14: Communication to families from the office about teacher changes completed-  Completed early

April 14: Remote Schedules shared with Jodi

April 15 and 16: Remote Schedules complete and communicated to families staying remote

April 26: Return to in-person learning

Buzz in My Brain

It is my hope that all of you know how much I value your work and all that you do, that each of you feels seen and heard as individuals. It is a horrible and demoralizing feeling when one feels that their work goes unnoticed and unappreciated. I never want anyone who works with me to feel that way. I never want to be the leader who works with a team that feels unappreciated, unheard, silenced or marginalized. If you are feeling this way please let me know so that we can talk. I can offer specific feedback and praise for all that you do! Help me learn and grow to be the best leader that I can be by making sure you know how much your work and professionalism is valued. 

Getting Back Some Time

• As our students come back to school I have been thinking about how to find the time to do everything that needs to be accomplished to help them have the most successful learning experience. 
• I have been thinking of ways that we can streamline routines and expectations to maximize our learning time both socially/emotionally and academically. 
• I came across this gem of an article from NAEYC Calendar Time for Young Children Good Intentions Gone Awry
• It could be a catalyst for helping you to streamline a long standing classroom routine

Attendance

Below please find the official distrcit policy on attendance beginning 4/26. 

District Policy on Attendance

Per DESE guidelines, families must select 5-day in-person or remote learning and the hybrid model will no longer be available for grades K-8 after April 26th. However, we recognize that certain situations, such as sickness or other COVID-related reasons, may prohibit a student from attending in-person on occasion. In the event that your child can not attend in person, we ask that you communicate with your child’s school as early as possible with the reason and timeframe for switching to remote learning. Students will still be marked present as long as they meet the attendance requirements for the day, although your child will not be with the same class for remote lessons.

Info from School Leader Call

This is an interesting tidbit regarding snacks in the classroom from our school leader meetings:

Q: Can 1/2 of group eat and the other half with masks on doing activities in the same space?

A: Yes

April 1, 2021

Honey-Do List

April 2: Report Cards and Progress Reports finished

April 2: Good Friday 

April 6: Bulletin Board Pictures due to Jodi 

April 14: Communication to families from the office about teacher changes completed

April 14: Remote Schedules shared with Jodi

April 15 and 16: Remote Schedules complete and communicated to families staying remote

April 26: Return to in-person learning

Retention

• I am not sure where the district is when it comes to a final call on retention
• The one line that has been drawn is that we cannot retain in K even if the student has not attended virtually or in-person
• Please let me know if you have any students that we should be discussing for retention. Keeping in mind that it will be a high threshold to cross 

Remote Schedules

• If you are teaching a remote class please create a schedule that can be shared with families. 
• Please share that schedule and your Zoom link with me by 4/14
• We will then share with families on 4/16 so they know what to expect on 4/26

Bulletin Board Pictures

• I started the welcome back bulletin Boards in September. 
• They were in a very undone state until this week. 
• I need your pictures for the second bulletin board by 4/6
• This bulletin board will get us through next year's opening too which means no nagging next year!
• Keri, Danielle, Ben, Kathryn, Taydavia, Rose you all look marvelous up there!

COVID

• This has been an eventful COVID week here at Lee Academy. 
• I want you to know that I am aware of the dissonance that may exist between our emotional reaction to positive cases and the district's response and protocols that follow scientific guidelines. I understand that it is difficult and scary when we hear that a colleague or one of our students has been impacted and that we see this person every day, share spaces and then return to our own families. I hear you, I understand and I empathize. 
• I am also very impressed with the fact that our anxiety has not impacted our professionalism and behavior with students. You are all amazing at getting the important work done and done well with compassion and care
• The contact tracing and communication protocols work, are administered uniformly and are efficient. I can say this with greater confidence than I could at any point during the day on Monday. 
• If you want a tracker for your close contacts please use this one. It is optional. 
• As we continue to work through our various emotional reactions. There are a few considerations that will help to keep us all safer:
• Encourage families to enroll their child in pool testing
• Continue your own personal surveillance testing
• Review classroom structures and routines so that 3 ft of social distancing is maintained in a way that is feasible with the young children we work with. 
• Wash your hands and sanitize frequently
• If a parent informs you of a student's illness or an illness in the home please ask the family to contact Sam and give Sam a heads up. She is meticulously tracking every illness.  

Reopening

Morning and Afternoon Duty

• We have reassigned morning and afternoon duty schedules starting 4/26.
• Please review the schedule here
• Please know your duty station
• Morning duty begins at 9:10 and Afternoon Duty at 3:15. 

Furniture

• I believe that we will get the additional plexiglass you requested. 
• We will NOT be getting additional furniture. 
• Central office staff will come to help you figure out classroom arrangements if we cannot figure out how we make it work with what we have. (This is true even if typed sarcastically) 
• In fact, if we want additional furniture the district MUST come to your classroom to consult
• Let me know ASAP if I need to arrange this visit for you.

Additional Planning Time

• The district is granting you a 1/2 day Wednesday afternoon to plan and set up your classrooms. 
• It will be an early release day for students.  
• There has been some concern about rising COVID rates and what that means for our reopening plans. 

Rising Positivity Rates

• The district and BPHC are committed to following the CDC Community Transmission Guidelines regarding reopening K-12 Schools

• A significant quote from these guidelines is
• “K–12 schools should be the last settings to close after all other prevention measures in the community have been employed, and the first to reopen when they can do so safely.”

• CDC Indicators and Thresholds for Community Transmission of COVID-191

  Table 1. CDC Indicators and Thresholds for Community Transmission of COVID-19

  Indicator	Low Transmission Blue	Moderate Transmission Yellow	Substantial Transmission Orange	High Transmission Red
  Total new cases per 100,000 persons in the past 7 days2	0-9	10-49	50-99	≥100
  Percentage of NAATs that are positive during the past 7 days3	<5.0%	5.0%-7.9%	8.0%-9.9%	≥10.0%

  1If the two indicators suggest different levels, the actions corresponding to the higher threshold should be chosen. County-level data on total new cases in the past 7 days and test percent positivity are available on the County View tab in CDC’s COVID Data Tracker.
  2Total number of new cases per 100,000 persons within the last 7 days is calculated by adding the number of new cases in the county (or other community type) in the last 7 days divided by the population in the county (or other community type) and multiplying by 100,000.
  

  3Percentage of positive diagnostic and screening NAATs during the last 7 days is calculated by dividing the number of positive tests in the county (or other administrative level) during the last 7 days by the total number of tests resulted over the last 7 days. Additional information can be found on the Calculating Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Laboratory Test Percent Positivity: CDC Methods and Considerations for Comparisons and Interpretation webpage. 

• If you are interested you may find the entire CDC Reopening guidelines here
• Where Boston is as of 3/25/21
• Current Community Positivity Rate 4.8%= Low Transmission
• Current Number of Cases per 100,000 is 31.9 = Moderate Transmission

Street Sweeping

• Street Sweeping resumes this month so please be aware of the schedule if you park on the street near the school. 
• The park side of the street does not ticket/tow but the house side of the street does. 
• Street sweeping on the house side of the street is every 2nd and 4th Wednesday from April until September. 
• Set a reminder in your phone or add it to your calendar - whatever helps! 
• Upcoming dates would be April 14, April 28, May 12, May 26, and June 9.